Hi! I’m Jenn – a writer, hiker (obvi) and New Hampshire native, hitting the trails in the Granite State and currently working on the New Hampshire 48 4,000 footers list.
As a NH native, I wish I could say that I have always been a hiker – but as with many aspects of my life, I’m what you could call a “late bloomer.”
In 2016, I (unknowingly at the time) went on my first hike on New Hampshire’s 4,000 footer list – The Franconia Ridge – wearing a Jansport backpack, cotton clothing, and carrying two small bottles of water. Miraculously, I survived – but I wouldn’t hike again for another 3 years.
In 2019, a friend invited me to join her on a hike to Mount Osceola. She (thankfully) let me borrow one of her packs, and taught me a thing or two about proper footwear, dry-wick clothing and the necessity of snacks and water on the trail. I didn’t just survive this hike, I thrived – and soon after I officially started my journey to complete the NH48 list.
Unlike my fellow NH natives, I’m not much of a mountain goat when it comes to hiking – I’m clumsy and awkward, I have stumpy legs (curse you, genetics!) and have a pretty intense fear of heights. But for what I lack in experience, I make up for in a determined and stubborn resolve to conquer these mountains.
I created The Sassy Hiker in order to share my stories (and foibles) in the White Mountains in a self-deprecating, and approachable way that I hope will inspire other novice hikers to take the first step in these beautiful mountains. Because if I can do it, you most certainly can!